How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
About the writer: Not much is known for certain about the author of this hymn. Variously attributed to John Keene, R. Keen, or George Keith, it is believed that the writer was a song leader in the Baptist Church in London in the late 18th century. This is because John Rippon (1751-1836) was the pastor of this church when his volume titled A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, 1787, included “How Firm a Foundation.” The composer was listed as R. Keen. Later volumes gave different credit so the mystery remains.
Key Verse: Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” –Hebrews 13:5